Whether it is for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other day of the year, learning this Pit Boss smoked spatchcock turkey recipe will have you forgetting about all those dry turkeys you have had in the past.
Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Smoked spatchcock turkey is an easy way to ensure the meat turns out juicy by removing the backbone and splaying the turkey out flat before cooking. Season and inject the turkey. Smoke until the turkey breast has reached 150 degrees and the thighs have reached 165 degrees. Rest, slice, and serve to guests.
Why Spatchcock A Turkey
If you have never tried spatchcocking poultry before, now is your chance. Here are the benefits of spatchcocking a turkey.
- Easier to evenly cook.
- Crispier skin over the entire turkey.
- Turkey will be done quicker.
- Turkey will be the juicer.
How To Spatchcock A Whole Turkey
Spatchcocking a turkey is quite a simple process, however, you will need more than your standard meat scissors or chef’s knife. I highly recommend getting a sturdy pair of poultry sheers or a heavy meat cleaver to get through the turkey bones. To make life easy, I have fought spatchcocking a turkey with regular meat scissors, and it’s a battle.
To start spatchcocking the turkey, make sure it has been properly thawed and start to remove anything from the inside of the turkey. Once that is done, set the turkey onto a large cutting board so that the backbone is facing upward.
Take your poultry sheers and starting on either side of the backbone, start snipping alongside the backbone. Completely going from one side to the other. Repeat the process on the other side.
The backbone should come right out. Snip the first few inches of the breastplate and flip the turkey over so the turkey breasts are facing upward. Using both hands, press into the center of the breasts until you hear a crack and the turkey lays out flat.
How Long Does It Take To Thaw Out a 12-Pound Turkey?
For a 12-pound frozen turkey, it often takes between 3-4 days to completely thaw in the fridge. It is often suggested to let your turkey thaw for 1 day for every 4 pounds of turkey. All you need to do is leave your turkey in the original packaging, place it in a pan, and let thaw.
Joshs Cookhouse Smoked Poultry Recipes
Not looking to smoke a whole turkey, here are some of my other delicious smoked poultry recipes you will enjoy!
The Best Spatchcock Smoked Turkey Recipe
Forget the terribly dry turkey everyone saw in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! Using this smoked turkey recipe, not only will you end up with a smoked turkey that is moist but it is also packed down to the core with tons of flavor.
Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Ingredients
I don’t use specific measurements when seasoning the turkey itself. I usually apply each seasoning to my liking with kosher salt and black pepper as a base layer.
- 12 Pound Turkey
- Kosher Salt
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
Turkey Butter Injection Ingredients
- 2 Cups Unsalted Butter
- 3 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Dashes Of Mustard Powder
Cooking Equipment Needed
- Pit Boss Smoker
- Pit Boss Hickory Wood Pellets
- Meat Injector
- Medium Glass Bowl
- Poultry Sheers or Meat Cleaver
- Aluminum Baking Pan
- Sauce Mop
- Wireless Meat Thermometer
How To Make Turkey Butter Injection
This part is crazy simple and helps produce an amazing turkey. You can either make this right before spatchcocking the turkey or right after. Just make sure the butter is warm before injecting or it will solidify again.
Step 1: In a medium or large glass bowl, melt down 2 cups of unsalted butter.
Step 2: Mix in all of your dry ingredients from the butter injection ingredient list.
Joshs Cookhouse Tips: Only use powders in your butter injection that way your injection liquid doesn’t plug any of the holes in your meat injector.
How To Smoke A Spatchcock Turkey On A Pit Boss
Step 1: Fill your Pit Boss wood pellet grill with your choice of wood pellets (I chose hickory pellets for this recipe) and then fire up the wood pellet grill to 250 degrees.
Step 2: Spatchcock the turkey. (See how to spatchcock a turkey at the beginning of this article for directions on this process.)
Step 3: Remove any excess chunks of skin.
Step 4: Using a meat injector, start injecting your turkey every few inches with the butter injection. Make sure to inject deep into the meat.
Joshs Cookhouse Tips: When injecting the turkey, the meat will begin to plump up, once you see the butter injection start to come out, move onto a new spot.
Step 5: First apply a generous amount of kosher salt and black pepper all over the turkey and then apply a more liberal amount of the onion powder and smoked paprika. This is the time to place the meat probe into the center of your turkey breast.
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Step 6: If your pit boss pellet grill is up to temperature, it is time to throw your spatchcock turkey onto the upper grating of the smoker if you have it. Otherwise, the main grating will do. Smoke for 2 hours.
Joshs Cookhouse Tips: If you can put your turkey onto the upper grating, place an aluminum baking pan underneath the turkey to catch the drippings. Pour 12-16 ounces of chicken broth into the pan. I used the broth and turkey drippings to make homemade gravy.
Step 7: Once the turkey has smoked for 2 hours using a sauce brush, brush on some of the drippings from your aluminum baking pan over the entire turkey every 30 minutes until finished cooking. If you are not collecting the drippings, simply melt some butter and brush that over the turkey.
Step 8: Around the 4-41/2 hour mark, your turkey should be ready to take off the smoker. You will be looking for a 150-degree internal temperature in the thickest part of the turkey breast and the other parts like the turkey thigh should be around 165 degrees internally by this point.
Step 9: Let the turkey rest anywhere from 30-60 minutes before slicing.
Smoked Spatchcock Turkey FAQS
How Long Does It Take To Smoke A 12 Lb Spatchcocked Turkey At 250 Degrees?
As long as you keep your smoker temperate at a consistent 250 degrees, it should take roughly 4-4 1/2 hours to completely smoke your spatchcock turkey.
How To Keep Smoked Turkey Moist While Smoking It?
There are three things that can help keep your turkey. Those things are brine your turkey overnight, inject your turkey, and most importantly do not overcook your smoked turkey. No matter what you do to your smoked turkey, if you overcook it, you will at some point cook the moisture right out of the turkey.
Can I Spritz My Smoked Turkey While It Cooks?
Yes, you can spritz your spatchcock turkey while it smokes. This will have a similar effect to using a sauce mop. It will both help the smoke stick to the surface of the turkey’s skin and also help your smoked turkey from drying out.
When Is Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Done?
There are two different temperatures you will be looking for when determining if your spatchcock turkey is done smoking. The first is the turkey breast which is done at 150 degrees. Other sites may say 165, however, as long as the turkey breast is 150 degrees for more than 4 to 5 minutes. The second temperature you will be looking for is to have the turkey thighs/wings at 165 degrees. If you spatchcock your turkey both types of meat should reach their ideal temperatures around the same time.
I hope you find my Pit Boss Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Recipe an improvement to any horrible past experiences of overly dry turkey you may have suffered in the past!
Don’t be afraid to like, comment, and share this recipe from Joshs Cookhouse, where nothing is off the table!
Equipment
- Poultry Sheers or Meat Cleaver
- Aluminum Baking Pan
Ingredients
Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Ingredients
- 12 Pound Turkey
- Kosher Salt
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
Turkey Butter Injection Ingredients
- 2 Cups Unsalted Butter
- 3 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Dashes Mustard Powder
Instructions
How To Make Turkey Butter Injection
- In a medium or large glass bowl, melt down 2 cups of unsalted butter.
- Mix in all of your dry ingredients from the butter injection ingredient list.
How To Smoke A Spatchcock Turkey
- Fill your Pit Boss wood pellet grill with your choice of wood pellets (I chose hickory pellets for this recipe) and then fire up the wood pellet grill to 250 degrees.
- Spatchcock the turkey. Remove any excess chunks of skin.
- Using a meat injector, start injecting your turkey every few inches with the butter injection. Make sure to inject deep into the meat.
- First apply a generous amount of kosher salt all over the turkey and then apply a more liberal amount of the coarse black pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Place the meat probe into the center of your turkey breast.
- If your pit boss pellet grill is up to temperature, it is time to throw your spatchcock turkey onto the upper grating of the smoker if you have it. Otherwise, the main grating will do. Smoke for 2 hours.
- Once the turkey has smoked for 2 hours using a sauce brush, brush on some of the drippings from your aluminum baking pan over the entire turkey every 30 minutes until finished cooking. If you are not collecting the drippings, simply melt some butter and brush that over the turkey.
- Around the 4-41/2 hour mark, your turkey should be ready to take off the smoker. You will be looking for a 150-degree internal temperature in the thickest part of the turkey breast and the other parts like the turkey thigh should be around 165 degrees internally by this point.
- Let the turkey rest anywhere from 30-60 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Last update on 2024-05-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
